Getting to Know Assistant Coach Lauren Morton

DURHAM, N.C. – Lauren Morton is in her first season guiding the Duke offense after joining head coach Kerstin Kimel and assistant coach Amanda Barnes on the Blue Devil coaching staff this summer. Morton came to Durham from Georgetown, where she was an assistant coach for two seasons.

Morton recently sat down with GoDuke.com to talk about settling in to Durham and to share her coaching philosophy.

GoDuke.com: Take us through your coaching philosophy, particularly on attack.
Lauren Morton: From the way I was taught the game and the coaches and mentors I had, I think there's an important aspect in actually teaching the fundamentals of the game. So I think a lot of my philosophy comes from teaching the players how to read a defense and being able to adapt and adjust really quickly and make quick decisions. That definitely is important in terms of them understanding how to learn the game first, then how to read it and then be able to play it.

GoDuke.com: With several years of coaching under your belt, what do you feel you are bringing to Duke from your past experiences?
LM: The one thing that's definitely evolved is finding the easiest way to explain things. Having been a couple of different places, I think that the generation of players has changed in terms of how they learn. One thing I've found is in keeping things simple, they're able to find success and understand what you're asking them to do and why they're doing it.

GoDuke.com: What has been your favorite moment at Duke so far?
LM: Our scrimmage against North Carolina was definitely a fun experience. It was good just to play. Honestly, I would say the first week of testing. Being back with the team and them physically pushing themselves to the limit, setting a standard for the year and them really being united – that was a fun experience to be a part of and to see their culture.

GoDuke.com: Can you talk about your early days of playing lacrosse and how you got into the sport?
LM: I started pretty late relative to how early kids start now. That was because I was primarily a soccer and basketball player. So I started in eighth grade. I just played for my school. It's a fast-paced game, which I really liked. It was something that I found was a lot of fun. From there I started playing on a club team. It wasn't until late in my junior year of high school that it became more of an option than the other sports to play in college.

GoDuke.com: After participating in Duke women's lacrosse camps both as a camper and as a counselor, does it now seem surreal to be on the Duke coaching staff?
LM: It is funny how it's come full circle. Because I was here as a camper when I was in high school and then helping as a counselor and coaching, it's definitely a place I'm familiar with. I've had an affinity for Duke as a big college basketball fan, so I think it's funny that it's all come full circle. I've gotten a chance to get to know Kerstin over the years and obviously being from the same area. It's definitely been a place that's attracted me to come back.

GoDuke.com: Who are some coaches that you've looked up to over the years?
LM: I've been fortunate in that I had two head coaches while I was in college [at Boston University] – Liza Kelly and Liz Robertshaw – who both really were phenomenal coaches. I've had really good experiences from a playing standpoint. And then being able to coach with Ricky Fried [at Georgetown] was such a great experience. I think I learned a lot in terms of the way to teach the game.

GoDuke.com: What are some goals you have for your first season at Duke?
LM: This isn't necessarily something that can be tracked, but just making us smarter players. Being an offensive system and a team that has an answer for everything and knows how to play and what to look for and really being dynamic. I think that's the one word that is really important for us – we want players who can dodge and feed and be more multi-dimensional than anything else because I think that makes everyone a threat. From a statistical standpoint, I'm a big proponent of having a high shooting percentage. I think fundamentally it's something that everyone can get better at. You see all the guys at the professional level and the women at the highest U.S. level – it's something that they work on every day. I think just ultimately have everyone that's on the attacking end of the field be a threat.

Quick Hitters:
Favorite athlete: Brian Dawkins when he played for the [Philadelphia] Eagles – he was one of the most passionate and team oriented guys
Favorite movie: Love & Basketball, Mystery Alaska
Favorite TV show: Scandal, Sons of Anarchy
Favorite book: A Season on the Brink, anything by John Feinstein
Favorite music: Everything from Dave Matthews to Ellie Goulding, Pat Green to Nas
Favorite food: Sushi
Hidden talent: I won a state medal in sixth grade for playing the trombone
Best thing you've done since you've moved to Durham: Visited all of the good food spots – Mateo, Toast, Parker and Otis to name a few
Best place lacrosse has taken you: Australia – after my freshman year of college we went for about three weeks with my team, which was really fun. We got to see Cairns, the Gold Coast, Sydney.

The Blue Devils continue the fall portion of their schedule Saturday, Oct. 25 with scrimmages against Michigan and Florida in Durham. The team also hosts the annual Duke Fall Invitational Sunday, Oct. 26, with Elon, Florida, High Point, Lindenwood, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and Winthrop all scheduled to take part.

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Getting to Know Assistant Coach Lauren Morton

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